1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the production of alkenoic acid esters from lactones.
2. Description of Related Art
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of alkenoic acid esters comprising contacting a lactone with an alcohol and an acidic heterogeneous catalyst. Such a process is known in the art and is described e.g. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,061 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,613.
The inventors have found that a problem of the processes as described in e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,061 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,613 is that the acidic catalysts tend to deactivate in time. This forms a problem since the conversion or turnover number (TON) and/or the selectivity decreases resulting in higher production cost due to slower processes and because the catalyst needs to be replenished or replaced more frequently.
It is therefore an aim of the invention to provide a process for the preparation of alkenoic acid esters comprising contacting a lactone with an alcohol which results in a higher TON and/or better selectivity. It is another aim of the invention to provide a process for the preparation of alkenoic acid esters comprising contacting a lactone with an alcohol and an acidic heterogeneous catalyst, wherein said catalyst does not inactivate or to a lesser extent.